Friday, August 28, 2009

Boo Needs a Barn!


My friends, if you are a discerning cat lover like me, you know a good cat when you see one. Boo is one of those cats. He's both a lover and a fighter...which gets him in dutch with the staff here at DPVHS who try to take care of him every day.

If you've ever been lured in by a handsome fellow's charm, only to have your heart broken in the end, then you know what life would be like with Boo--he solicits love and affection...and then swats you for your trouble. We're hoping his recent neuter surgery (and the resulting dip in testosterone levels) will help reduce this behavior, but we're not holding our breath.

Instead, we're looking for a home where Boo can stretch his legs, enjoy the outdoors, and maybe not hurt people who seek to love him. In short, a barn home.

Like some of the cats who arrive at DPVHS, Boo isn't exactly presenting the prettiest picture of the perfect household pet. Other cats destined for the barn program include those cats who persist in "thinking outside the box" for no apparent reason. With so many healthy, friendly, well-socialized, box-thinking cats and kittens seeking homes, few people are lining up to take home our feisty and free-thinking felines. For these cats, a barn home is their last chance.

And you don't just need a working barn to successfully care for a barn cat--if you have a warehouse, workshop, or other non-residential space where you wouldn't mind a little rodent deterrence and a friendly purr, consider adopting a barn cat from DPVHS. You'll be a homeless cat's last chance at the good life.

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Cats Galore!


In the week since opening our DPVHS Adoption & Education Center at 171 Union Street in Springfield, we have been inundated with cats and kittens. Our Leverett Adoption Center is overwhelmed, as well.

We need your help now more than ever.

Adult cats--cats 6 months or older--are coming in at 10 times the rate they are being adopted. Simple math will show you that, eventually, there will be no space left inside the adoption centers. We are doing everything we can to juggle cats and space:

*We are admitting all new cats by appointment. This helps us save lives by managing resources--including space and staff--better. We are grateful for the community members who have embraced this system and willingly made appointments for the animals they cannot keep.

*We are helping some of our shy adult cats adjust to the bustling adoption center environment by letting them spend their first few days in "time out" rooms. Some of these cats are even hanging out in administrative staff offices.

*We are making all adult cats at both DPVHS adoption centers members of the Lonely Hearts Club, effective immediately. This means that any cat 6 months or older may be adopted for half the regular adult cat adoption fee of $120. The adoption fee still includes sterilization surgery, microchipping, vaccinations, and important blood tests.

If you have room in your house for one more cat, please come to our Leverett or Springfield adoption centers and take a chance on love!